Dudley Senanayake - Chelvanayagam
Agreement 1965

Agreement entered into between Mr. Dudley
Senanayake, Prime Minister of Ceylon (and leader of the United
National Party) and Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayagam, leader of the Thamil
Arasu Katchi (Federal Party) on the 24th March 1965.

On the basis of this Agreement, the Federal Party extended
support to the United Natioanl Party to form the Government and the
Federal Party nominee, Mr.M.Thiruchelvam was appointed to the
Cabinet as Minister of Local Government.

However, the Agreement was not given effect to by the Dudley
Senanayake Government and this led to the withdrawal of the Federal
Party from the Cabinet in 1968

Mr. Dudley Senanayake and Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayagam met on 24-3-65 and
discussed matters relating to some problems over which the Tamil speaking
people were concerned, and Mr. Senanayake agreed that action on the
following lines would be taken by him to ensure a stable Government:

1. Action will be taken early under the Tamil Language Special
Provisions Act to make provision for the Tamil language to be the language
of administration and of record in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

2. Mr.Senanayake also explained that it was the policy of his Party
that a Tamil speaking person should be entitled to transact business in
Tamil throughout the Island.

Mr.Senanayake stated that it was the policy of his Party to amend the
Language of the Courts Act to provide for legal proceedings in the
Northern and Eastern Provinces to be conducted and recorded in Tamil.

3. Action will be taken to establish District Councils in Ceylon
vested with powers to be mutually agreed upon between the two leaders. It
was agreed, however, that the Government should have power under the law
to give directions to such Councils in the national interest.

4. The Land Development Ordinance will be amended to provide that
all citizens of Ceylon shall be entitled to the allotment of land under
the Ordinance. Mr. Senanayake further agreed that in the granting of land
under colonisation schemes the following priorities will be observed in
the Northern and Eastern Provinces:

(8) Land in the Northern and Eastern Provinces should in the first
instance be granted to landless persons in the District;

(b) Secondly - to Tamil speaking persons resident in the Northern and
Eastern Provinces; and

(c) Thirdly - to other citizens in Ceylon. Preference being given to
Tamil citizens resident in the rest of the Island.